Where are the best locations to live in the Greater Boston area from a commuting perspective? (real estate market, rentals)

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Build more in Waltham then and not in my town lol

This question the OP is posing is not really easy to answer especially when he throws in, well what if I have a new employer next year or what if my spouse does ? The answer is work from home. Otherwise there's no really great commute into the city. There's no tricks unless you get in a police car and turn on the sirens and attempt to get through the traffic like the mayor did. You could move to Newton but what if you or your spouse end up working in the seaport ? Boston commutes suck.

The demand is far outstripping supply, and that's in part because of NIMBY folks who throw a fit when denser housing is proposed in their town, but are now looking around wondering why their adult kids can only afford to live in their basement or with 3 roommates until 30. The cost of materials is super high now, but it won't always be that way and we desperately need more housing. It isn't going to get built if no one accepts it in their own town.

Newton to the Seaport is a really easy commute aside from Newton Highlands... if you have parking in the Seaport or take the train. That's part of what makes it such a great location - as easy as just about anywhere to get to most parts of Boston and Cambridge. The ease of getting to Cambridge makes it even more convenient than Brookline to me.

[msRB311]

I would prefer the higher prices then I guess. Dense housing is ugly and congestive. There are many new homes being built in my town. People aren't happy about it and these new homes don't seem to be helping with stabilizing pricing. If anything people are all over them like white on rice causing bidding wars.

New housing needs to built in other parts beyond greater Boston. Why should the beauty of the area be destroyed because more and more people want to live here? Move the jobs somewhere else.

[newenglandgal123]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I would prefer the higher prices then I guess. Dense housing is ugly and congestive. There are many new homes being built in my town. People aren't happy about it and these new homes don't seem to be helping with stabilizing pricing. If anything people are all over them like white on rice causing bidding wars.

New housing needs to built in other parts beyond greater Boston. Why should the beauty of the area be destroyed because more and more people want to live here? Move the jobs somewhere else.

It all comes down to developers being able to make more easy $$. If Duxbury and Hingham are the 'it' towns in the S.Shore then developers are going to find every piece of remaining land or dilapidated property they can raze to build in its place. Even better if they can convince a town to let them build by dangling the 40B carrot w/the promise that some affordables will be built too. Pack 'em in like sardines and then they'll charge $1M minimum to everyone else w/the deep pockets.

[newenglandgal123]

This cracks me up....now instead of calling them affordables...because it is Duxbury afterall....it prob makes the residents feel better who might be more accepting of this new development...if they are now called 'moderate' income houses instead! lol These will be sold at $559K instead of the $1M+ that I guess everyone else will have to pay.https://delphicassociates.com/checke...-duxbury-ma-2/

[msRB311]

Duxbury is very nice but I don't know that it will ever be an it town around here given the awful commute to the city. Doesn't seem to be stopping people from moving there but I don't foresee every sq inch being torn down to build more. There are lots of wetlands, bogs, forests not to mention the ocean that will prevent developers from doing that.

There's a lot of undeveloped land in Plymouth. Not sure why that isn't sought after. Doesn't sound as nice as duxbury I guess.

Hingham has become overbuilt and has lost its charm. For me anyways.

[simplexsimon]

Originally Posted by newenglandgal123

This cracks me up....now instead of calling them affordables...because it is Duxbury afterall....it prob makes the residents feel better who might be more accepting of this new development...if they are now called 'moderate' income houses instead! lol These will be sold at $559K instead of the $1M+ that I guess everyone else will have to pay.https://delphicassociates.com/checke...-duxbury-ma-2/

It’s because affordable housing is generally limited to 80% of AMI. I’m not sure what’s up with the upper 120% limit.

[UNC4Me]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

The demand is far outstripping supply, and that's in part because of NIMBY folks who throw a fit when denser housing is proposed in their town, but are now looking around wondering why their adult kids can only afford to live in their basement or with 3 roommates until 30. The cost of materials is super high now, but it won't always be that way and we desperately need more housing. It isn't going to get built if no one accepts it in their own town.

Newton to the Seaport is a really easy commute aside from Newton Highlands... if you have parking in the Seaport or take the train. That's part of what makes it such a great location - as easy as just about anywhere to get to most parts of Boston and Cambridge. The ease of getting to Cambridge makes it even more convenient than Brookline to me.

Exactly. The NIMBYs want what they’re never going to get: No more homes built in their towns and more affordable housing. The only way that happens other than more building is a recession where lots of people lose their jobs and their homes. Of course then they’d whine about their home value plummeting and wonder why their favorite coffee shop closed.

[msRB311]

I'd prefer a recession to tearing down forests and wildlife to cram in more people.

[UNC4Me]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I'd prefer a recession to tearing down forests and wildlife to cram in more people.

You’d prefer financial devastation, hunger, homelessness, despair for many instead of some building in your town? That takes Nimbyism to an extreme level. Pretty sure you’d feel differently if you and your husband lost your jobs, your home and your financial security due to a recession. But as long as it’s just other people suffering, I guess it’s ok to cheer for a recession.

[msRB311]

The real estate situation sucks here. That's basically the bottom line.